Two wheels and fresh soil have been dear friends for decades. Even in the earliest stages of motorcycle production, engineers and independent garageaholics adapted motorcycles for off-road use, racing them in what were called scrambles. But it wasn’t until the early '60s that we began to see a stalwart push for trail thumpers and track racers. Of course, Steve McQueen helped propel the sport of off-road motorcycling with his famous jump on a modified 1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy Bird in The Great Escape, and a man named Mr. Soichiro Honda was in the midst of a motorcycle revolution.

By the '70s, two-wheeled off-road machines began to morph into dedicated track monsters, festooned with plastic bodywork, more powerful engines and long travel suspension. Dirt warriors like the Husqvarna GP 250, Maico 250 Qualifier and Bultaco 370 jumped the Eastern pond while an omnipotent force was being conjured on the Western shores. The fab four of motorcycles — Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha — were churning out tuned-up motorcycles and solidifying their place as the legendary force that would rule the off-road realm. Today, most pro motocross races are dominated by the red, green, yellow, and blue, and off-road motorcycle technology has progressed radically. Now is the time to take up the sport.

What gear do we start in?

Most people are intimidated by the tainted reputation that plagues off-road motorcycles. Travis Pastrana and company have not been the best role models for teens tooling around in their local gravel pits. Dirt biking is usually something that incites amazement or fear; there’s usually no middle ground. We’re here to tell you that there’s nothing to shake in your boots about. Off-road riding is one of the most therapeutic hobbies on the planet. Nothing comes close to etching a set of knobbies into a berm before slamming a set of whoops and launching off of a daunting double to the finish line. Wait, what the hell are we rambling about? That’s dirt-bike lingo. See, even the language is gnarly.

But first, what exactly constitutes an off-road motorcycle?

Dirt bikes are a breed of their own. With up to a foot of suspension travel, it’s obvious that these unruly beasts are crafted for hellish terrain. As a result, dirt bikes are generally taller than regular motorcycles, as the seat height can reach a demanding 36 inches on larger displacement machines. Rather than smooth tires with tread patterns, dirt bikes rely on knobby rubber studs to claw into the dirt for optimal traction. The art of "roosting" is attributed to the dirt, rocks and debris kicked up by knobby tires, and many riders wear chest protectors when riding in groups or racing. Another defining characteristic of a dirt bike is its plastic bodywork with pronounced front and fear fenders to ward off as much projectile earth as possible. This way, it’s much cheaper to fix a chip or crack in plastic after an inadvertent spill.

Motocross vs. Woodsmen

Usually, dirt bikers fork off into two different camps. There are the motocross titans who spend most of their time and hard-earned pay on a racetrack, and then there are the relentless woodsmen, who grind through labyrinths of trails, narrowly avoiding close encounters with large trees. Enduro bikes are usually categorized as having large-displacement engines, high-capacity gas tanks and additional bike armor to shield the rider from Mother Nature’s henchmen. The motocross rider is all about speed, agility and huge air. Large jumps called "doubles," washboard sections referred to as "whoops" and banked corners known as "berms" can be found on a motocross track and with enough practice can be the most electrifying obstacles in the two-wheeled world.

Our introduction to off-road motorcycling continues next. What type of bike should you get?